An opportunity to utilize methane gas

An opportunity to utilize methane gas

The island is located at a distance of two kilometres from the Makran coast near the point where the Hingol River drains into the sea. The recent appearance of the island was looked at as the re-emergence of the past island — Malan.
The findings according to the scientists, provides evidence to the widely held belief that the specific area has marine reserves of methane gas.

Dr A.R. Tabrez the director general of the National Institute of Oceanography was of the opinion that the presence of huge rocks on the island led the scientists to assume that this time the island had emerged with greater pressure,
though they were not sure about the exact depth from where the mass had erupted.

According to the scientists, the Makran coastal belt is reported to have extensive reserves of frozen methane that exist in the form of gas hydrates (crystalline water-based solids physically resembling ice which were formed under
conditions of relatively high pressures and low temperatures) hundreds of metres below the sea floor. And whenever this highly pressured gas finds a weak space to release some of its energy, a dome-like structure (island) is created within the waters or it
emerges on the sea surface.

“The space to release energy could be formed due to tectonic movements, creating some fractures and fissures in the strata. Sometimes, the structures do not come out of the water and so go unnoticed,” said Dr Inam. 

Explaining the topography of the area, Dr Inam said that it was an active seismic region where three tectonic plates — Indian, Eurasian and Arabian — were converging. “The area is required to be mapped in detail to ascertain the
potentially hazardous parts. Besides, the area could be explored to overcome the energy crisis.”

Explaining the significance of gas hydrates, Moin Raza Khan, the general manager (exploration) of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), said the amount of natural gas in gas hydrate worldwide was estimated to be far greater than
the entire world’s conventional natural gas resources.

“This is what makes the gas hydrates a potential energy resource for the future. It is believed to contain more organic carbon than the world’s coal, oil, and conventional natural gas, together. The diminishing fossil fuels and
energy security concerns have made scientific communities work on gas hydrate as a potential energy resource,” he said.

According to the PPL official, there was a need for research organisations like the NIO coming together with organisations involved in the exploration of oil and gas internationally and locally to explore the potential of marine
gas reserves.

“Relevant technology for exploration is expensive and not being used for commercial purposes in the world. India, however, is working extensively in the exploration of gas hydrates,” he said.

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Posted by Momina Khan on Nov 15 2011. Filed under Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry